The present invention relates to a method for preparing food products by means of co-extrusion, as well as to a food product manufactured in such a manner.
The manufacture of encased food products by co-extrusion is known from GB-A-1 232 801. In this document co-extrusion is described using a casing mass made up of collagen, being a protein, which is strengthened into a usable sausage skin after co-extrusion. Another method of manufacturing an encased food product is described in GB-A-1 040 770, from which is known the use of collagen in combination with alginate for manufacturing casings for sausage products. The casings are inflated and then filled with for instance a meat mass. In this document however, use is not made of co-extrusion.
The advantages of co-extrusion in modern sausage manufacture, such as speed and uniformity of the product, are evident. Large cost-savings are also possible compared to methods wherein a preformed casing is filled, wherein the casings are for instance natural intestine or casings obtained by means of extrusion The arranging of a collagen casing in a co-extrusion process does however result in a sausage skin with properties which are not practicable for every type of sausage.